U.S. allies seeking exemptions from President Donald Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs are showing signs of coalescing around a common appeal: a promise to join forces with the U.S. in addressing a metal glut emanating from China.

Leading the negotiations with foreign governments is U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer, whose team will take into consideration arguments that are focused on national security, the legal basis for the Trump administration’s tariffs under Section 232 of a 1962 trade law.

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